Headlines for Faculty & Staff

Candlelight Vigil scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Posted Saturday, November 7, 2009

A candlelight vigil in remembrance of Nicole Chauvet, the Penn State Altoona student who passed away as the result of an automobile accident on Sunday, November 1, 2009, has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2009.

The vigil will begin at 9 p.m. Candles will be distributed on the Slep Portico beginning at 8:45 p.m. The campus community is invited to participate.

For additional information, please contact Yolanda Avent in the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, 103 Slep Student Center.

Location change for Woodruff Speaker Series Event

Posted Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The location for the Thursday, November 12, 2009 Speaker Series has been changed. Bob and Lee Woodruff will present at 7:30 p.m., at the Devorris Downtown Center along 12th Avenue in downtown Altoona.

For more information about the event, please visit www.altoona.psu.edu/now/news.asp?value=2329 online.

Film Series presents "Hobson's Choice"

Posted Monday, November 2, 2009

The Penn State Altoona film series will present the 1954 comedy "Hobson's Choice" on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 7 p.m. in the theatre of the Devorris Downtown Center, 1431 12th Avenue, Altoona, PA. The film is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.altoona.psu.edu/film on-line.

Faculty Colloquium: Robin Reese

Posted Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Division of Arts and Humanities at Penn State Altoona is pleased to announce that Robin Reese, assistant professor of theatre arts, will present "Healthy Vocal Production for Vocal Producers Who Aren't Performers" at the colloquium on Monday, November 9, 2009 from 12 noon - 1:15 p.m. in rooms 101-103 of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts. The colloquium will offer some tips and exercises on how to do your job and maintain your busy vocal life safely and with limited stress. Participants should be aware that some of the exercises will involve lying down and sitting on the floor. Please feel free to bring a yoga mat and/or pillow. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Robin Reese at RLR28@psu.edu..

The Fall of the Berlin Wall - 20 years: Writing on the Wall

Posted Monday, November 2, 2009

The western side of the Berlin Wall was a space for public artistic expression like no other. On Monday, November 9, 2009, the day the wall came down 20 years ago, you will also have the opportunity to "write on the wall" - only our "wall" is a book collecting reflections, poems (original; borrowed; translated) art work, transcribed interviews, essays, comments, photographs, etc. by contributors like you who want to commemorate this important day in their own way. Come to the "Wall Book" in the lobby of the Hawthorn building with your text (letter format) or image, or simply stop by and let yourself be inspired by a collection of pictures, poems, and statements. Contributors will receive a commemorative t-shirt (while supplies last). For more information, please contact Jutta Lorensen at jmg35@psu.edu.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall - 20 years: From the "Iron Curtain" to a "European Green Belt"

Posted Friday, October 16, 2009

What happens to borders once they are deemed irrelevant? What became of the Berlin Wall, the structure that encircled the entire city of West Berlin? Moreover, what became of the boundary that divided not only Germany, but all of Europe for almost 40 years: the infamous “Iron Curtain” with its guard towers, walls, metal fences, land mines and watch dogs? Nature has provided a surprising answer, taking over the deserted border areas so that “today a string of beautiful habitats with rare plants and animals connects European landscapes and forms a living monument of European history.” The European Green Belt Initiative tries to convert the former Iron Curtain into a trans-boundary ecological zone that runs right through the center of Europe.

Boris Erg, director and project coordinator for the European Green Belt, will give a lecture on this topic titled "From Division to Cooperation: Converting the former ‘Iron Curtain’ into a trans-European Ecological Network for the Future" on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in room 150 of the Hawthorn building on the Penn State Altoona campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Penn State Altoona dynamic duo to hold book signing at Barnes and Noble

Posted Tuesday, October 27, 2009

ALTOONA – Chancellor Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry and Kenneth Womack, interim associate dean for Academic Affairs, will sign copies of their new book, "Penn State Altoona," from 1 - 4 p.m., Saturday, November 21, 2009, at Barnes and Noble in Altoona. The book commemorates the college's seventy-year history through period photographs which chronicle the school's transformation into a teaching and research institution of national acclaim.

Penn State Altoona began in 1939 as the Altoona Undergraduate Center. After relocating to the site of an abandoned amusement park in the late 1940s, the college enjoyed a rapid postwar growth spurt that culminated in 1997 with its newly minted charter as a four-year college in The Pennsylvania State University system.

"Penn State Altoona" includes a look back at Ivyside Recreation Park, one of Altoona's key prewar attractions. It features the inspired group of local citizens who built, financed, and nurtured the college through the economic woes of the Great Depression. The book explores the enrollment collapse engendered by World War II while also showing the rise and fall of the region’s railroad fortunes.

"Penn State Altoona" is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com.

State Representative Visits Penn State Altoona

Posted Wednesday, November 4, 2009

State Representative Rick Geist will visit Penn State Altoona on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 7 p.m. in room 144 of the Hawthorn building. Geist will be on campus to talk about the Pennsylvania budget crisis by explainung the budget process and what took so long to pass the budget.

Penn State Altoona to host journalists Bob and Lee Woodruff

Posted Friday, October 16, 2009

ALTOONA - Bob and Lee Woodruff, co-authors of "In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love, Courage, and Healing," will speak at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, November 12, 2009, in the Devorris Downtown Center as part of the Penn State Altoona Speaker Series.

Bob Woodruff joined ABC News in 1996 and has covered major stories throughout the country and around the world for the network. He was named co-anchor of ABC’s "World News Tonight" in December 2005. On January 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq. Woodruff is back at work reporting for ABC News shows on a variety of international and national stories with his “Bob Woodruff Reports” unit. He has continued to cover stories that focus attention on the needs of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Lee Woodruff is a contributing editor for ABC’s Good Morning America. A freelance writer, Woodruff has penned numerous personal articles about her family and parenting that have run in such high-profile magazines as Health, Redbook, Country Living, Parade, and Family Fun.

The Woodruff’s book, "In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love, Courage, and Healing," documents their family’s journey to recovery following Bob’s roadside bomb injury.

Proceeds from the Speaker Series benefit the Penn State Altoona Future Fund, which provides funds for programs that enrich academic and cultural life on campus and in the community. This fund also may be used by the administration to offer emergency scholarship assistance to students who are experiencing a financial crisis.

Call 814-949-5091 or stop by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 1419 Twelfth Avenue in downtown Altoona to purchase tickets.

Health and Wellness Center to present annual "Sex on Campus" event

Posted Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Penn State Altoona Health and Wellness Center will hold the annual "Sex on Campus" event on Thursday, November 12, 2009 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the TV Lounge of the Slep Student Center. The event is an interactive health fair that will focus on such topics as abstinence, sexual decision-making, sexual assault, tobacco cessation, contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted infections, alcohol and other drug use, and more. There will also be games, music, and free giveaways including the chance to win a free "sex on campus" t-shirt. For more information, contact the Health and Wellness Center at 814-949-5540.

Penn State Altoona announces new Kappa Delta Pi chapter

Posted Monday, October 26, 2009

ALTOONA – Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, will install the new Penn State Altoona Chapter, Alpha Epsilon Pi, at 2 p.m., Sunday, November 15, 2009 in the Port-Sky Cafe. More than fifty new charter members will be initiated by an executive member of Kappa Delta Pi, from its headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. Chancellor Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry will receive the charter on behalf of the college.

Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is one of the largest and most prestigious educational honor societies in the world. It is dedicated to fostering excellence in education and promoting fellowship among leaders dedicated to teaching. With more than 550 active chapters throughout the world, Kappa Delta Pi is dedicated to the ideals of Fidelity to Humanity, Service, Science, and Toil. Students have been carefully selected based on very stringent expectations, high academic accomplishments, and promising leadership examples as prescribed in the KDP bylaws. In order to be eligible for the Penn State Altoona chapter, students must earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above, be in sophomore standing, and complete or be in the process of completing at least twelve credit hours of specific education courses. This year, only the top 11 percent of students in the elementary and secondary education majors will be initiated.

This is the first education honor society to be established at Penn State Altoona and only the second KDP chapter in the Penn State System. The other chapter is located at Penn State Harrisburg.

The installation and initiation ceremony is only by invitation. Contact Barbara Hong at bsh15@psu.edu or 814-949-5272 with questions.

Penn State Altoona to present "Anna in the Tropics"

Posted Friday, September 4, 2009

ALTOONA – Tickets are now available for Penn State Altoona’s November production of "Anna in the Tropics." Cost is $5 for Penn State Altoona students and $7 regular admission. Performances are November 12-14 at 7:30 p.m. and November 14-15 at 2 p.m. in the Paul R. and Margery Wolf Kuhn Theatre of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts.

The production, by Nilo Cruz, is set in 1929, just before the Depression. "Anna in the Tropics" centers on a Cuban-American family and the cigar factory that provides their livelihood in Ybor City, Florida. Told as a romantic allegory, the show raises questions about the nature of the American dream, the mechanization of the American worker, and the place of literature and intellect in a consumer based society. "Anna in the Tropics" was the 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama.

The cast members for the play come from towns all over the east coast. Richie Smith (Santiago) and Jake Baskin (Che Che) are from Altoona, while Maria Canela (Ofelia) and Andriana Alicia (Conchita) come from New York, NY. Alex Fetner (Palomo) is from South Orange, NJ, and ZachVerrastro (Troubadour) is from Scotch Plains, NJ. Martin Byrne from Broomall, PA; Daragh Egan, Murrysville, PA; Alyssa Frock, Philipsburg, PA; David Hinkle, Grantville, PA; Christine Jervis, Mechanicsburg, PA; and Philip McCall, Washington, D.C., are all part of the ensemble.

The production is directed by Penn State Altoona Instructor in Theatre Arts Selena Ambush. Ambush has been on, behind, or in front of a stage since the seasoned age of five. A native of Florida, she attended The University of West Florida on a talent scholarship and has performed and directed at several regional and municipal theatres throughout Florida and in the Detroit area. Ambush holds an MFA in directing from the Actor’s Studio Drama School. Her credits include "Dressing on the Side," "Butchus Homosexualis," and the world premiere of "Martin Luther: The Musical!" Ambush has written freelance articles for several publications including "The Village Voice," "L" and "Pod Magazine."

Tickets for "Anna in the Tropics" are available at the Box Office, open Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Telephone reservations may be made by calling the Box Office at 814-949-5452.

Get Your Passport Today!

Posted Friday, October 30, 2009

Need a passport? Get yours on Passport Day, Tuesday, November 17, 2009 from 1 - 3 p.m. Transportation will be provided by the office of Education Abroad to the passport facility. RSVP to altoonastudyabroad@psu.edu by Friday, November 13, 2009. Pay by Cash or Checks (x2). Documents Needed: Drivers License, other form of ID, and certified copy of Birth Certificate.

Penn State Altoona welcomes back former professor for book reading

Posted Friday, October 30, 2009

ALTOONA - Award-winning author Dinty Moore will read from his memoir "Between Panic and Desire" at Penn State Altoona's Edith Davis Eve Memorial Chapel, at 7 p.m., on Tuesday, November 17, 2009.

Now a professor of nonfiction writing at Ohio University, Moore was a popular and admired Penn State Altoona faculty member for sixteen years. He played instrumental roles in developing the college's English and Integrative Arts degree programs.

"Between Panic and Desire," published by the University of Nebraska Press, was winner of the rub Street Nonfiction Book Prize in 2009. Moore has won many other awards for his writing, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction. His other books include "The Accidental Buddhist," "Toothpick Men," "The Emperor's Virtual Clothes," and the writing guide, "The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction." Moore has published essays and stories in "The Southern Review," "The Georgia Review," "Harpers," "The New York Times Sunday Magazine," "The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine," "Gettysburg Review," "Utne Reader," and "Crazyhorse," among numerous other venues.

The reading, sponsored by the Penn State Altoona English program, is free and open to the public.

Theatre program announces auditions for spring 2010 productions

Posted Thursday, November 5, 2009

The Penn State Altoona theatre program will hold auditions for two spring 2010 productions Monday through Wednesday, November 16 -18, 2009 in various locations on campus. Auditions will be held for the one-act production "Love, Differently," written by student Malorie Halsall, and the April production of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Auditions will consist of readings from the scripts, which are available in room 108 of the Misciagna Family Center.

Auditions will take place on Monday, November 16, 2009 from 6 - 8 p.m. in room 113 of the Misciagna Family center for Performing Arts; Tuesday, November 17, 2009 from 6 - 8 p.m. in the Titelman Study of the Misciagna Family Center; and Wednesday, November 18. 2009 from 4 - 8 p.m. in room 202 of the Adler Athletic Complex. Anyone interested in auditioning need only attend one of the above audition dates. Familiarity with the script(s) is recommended. If unable to attend any of the auditions times, students should contact director Robin Reese (director of "Macbeth) at rlr28@psu.edu or Alex Frasse (director of "Love, Differently") at awf5057@psu.edu. Production positions for both shows including stage managers, assistant stage managers, costume designers, light designers, sound designers, and technicians are also available for these and other productions. Contact the directors for more information.

Rehearsals for "Love, Differently" will begin in late November with performances running February 4 - 6, 2010. Rehearsals for "Macbeth" will begin in February with performances running March 25-28.

Biology professor offers presentation on species interaction

Posted Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Biology degree program at Penn State Altoona will host a presentation by Dr. Tracy Langkilde, Penn State assistant professor of biology, on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 7 p.m. in room 207 of the Force Advanced Technology Center. Langkilde will offer a lecture titled "Boogie or Die: Native Lizards Adapt to Survive Invasion by Fire Ants."

Langkilde's are of interest is in how individual species interact with one another and their environment, and how responses to environmental changes can shape communities over multiple scales. Langkilde recently discovered that native fence lizards in the Southern United States rapidly evolved novel behavioral strategies and altered morphologies to avoid lethal attack by invasive fire ants. She is investigating the mechanisms behind these intriguing findings.

Langkilde has received several awards including the Jabez King Memorial Prize for the most meritorious Ph.D. thesis at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, and a Postgraduate Excellence Prize from the University of Sydney, and a New South Wales Young Tall Poppy Science Award from the Australian Institute of Political Sciences. In 2005 and 2006, she was awarded a Gaylord Donnelley Environmental Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forestry and Environmental Studies from Yale University. Langkilde earned her Ph.D. in biology in 2005 at the University of Sydney, where she worked on interspecific competition in lizards, and was awarded first class honors while earning her bachelor’s of science (1999) in biology at James Cook University in Australia. Langkilde has authored or co-authored about 40 scientific papers and served as a peer reviewer for over 30 journals.

This event is free and open to the public.

Fall 2009 Chancellor's Chat Schedule

Posted Monday, July 6, 2009

Listed below are dates and times for the fall 2009 Chancellor Chat sessions. Please feel free to stop by and chat with the Chancellor at any or all of the following sessions. Reservations are not needed.

• Thursday, September 3, 2009 @ 4 p.m.
• Monday, September 21, 2009 @ 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, October 6, 2009 @ 4 p.m. (E104 Smith Building)
• Wednesday, November 4, 2009 @ 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 17, 2009 @ 10 a.m.
• Monday, December 14, 2009 @ 10 a.m.

All sessions will last one hour and will be held in the special events room in Port-Sky Cafe unless otherwise noted. Coffee and bagels will be available at the 10 a.m. sessions and coffee and cookies will be available at the 4 p.m.